


Obvious

by storytimewritings



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Maria ships Philinda, Philinda - Freeform, Philinda 48 Hours, Philinda 48-Hour Identical Promptathon, undercover fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 08:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2541209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storytimewritings/pseuds/storytimewritings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Phil & Melinda drinking cocktails together.</p>
<p>Additional details: Fic must include a cameo appearance by either Nick Fury, Maria Hill, or Victoria Hand. </p>
<p>Undercover fic in which Phil's feelings are obvious to all but May, and Maria makes a cameo to advise Coulson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Obvious

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfic that I posted on tumblr for Philinda48hours

He steps into the ballroom, and instantly sets his sights on her. She’s stunning, absolutely beautiful, and even though he can only see her from the back, he knows that the full effect will be blinding.

Because it’s May, and she’s always had that effect on him. He’s always felt this way, since they first became friends at the Academy, till now-best friends and partners. Fury himself knew that it would be impossible to separate them, and so he hadn’t even tried.

She’s sipping on a cocktail, observing the couples on the dance floor, already in mission mode. And then, as if aware of his presence, she turns around, and dazzles him.

He can feel himself gaping, as Maria sidles up next to him, and whispers softly, ‘You might want to pick your jaw up off the floor, Phil, so we can get started with the mission. Now’s really not the time to be gawping at Melinda, no matter how much in love with her you might be.’

Horrified, he turns sharply, and asks despondently, ‘Is it that obvious?’

‘To me? Yes. To Melinda? No, of course not!’

This lifts his spirits, for at least Melinda herself is unaware of his pathetic crush-well it was more than a crush really… Turning back, he sees Melinda smiling at the two of them, and wishes, just for a moment, that it was all for him.

For a second, it almost feels like it is, until Maria hisses, ‘Get a grip Phil,’ and heads off towards her date for the evening.

As he walks towards her, he reminds himself that this is for a mission, it’s not pleasure. If it was, it wouldn’t be May standing there, just some beautiful young woman filling in for her. Because that’s all they could ever be. He’d never love another.

She hands him a cocktail, he doesn’t know what, because he’s too busy staring at her as she lightly sips from her own drink, carefully flitting her gaze across the room. He catches Maria’s eye, and she glares at him, reminding him of the mission at hand, and he blushes faintly as May quirks her brow at them both.

But she doesn’t press, and for that he’s grateful, because he’s sure he’d let everything out if she asked. Tonight, it seems, he’s not got a hold of himself, but if he wants to complete the mission, he needs to concentrate, and fast.

‘You’re staring Phil.’

‘Right! Sorry!’ ‘Focus,’ he whispers to himself.

‘What was that?’

‘Nothing!’ ‘Nothing at all,’ he says gloomily into his drink.

Clearly, this mission is not going well at all for him. He’d been excited at the prospect of undercover work-of getting to see May in a dress, but now, he just wanted it to be over.

At any other time, he was at his most comfortable being with May. But undercover work was always more difficult, because they weren’t themselves-they played at being other people. Being undercover made him hope for the impossible, made him dream of them being other people who could share a life together.

A brief cough interrupted his musings. He turned to May, who set down her cocktail as she stood up.

Grinning down at him, she asked, ‘May I have this dance?’ and offered him her hand.

He accepted, grateful for the reprieve from his thoughts, and gulped down the last dregs of his own cocktail, hoping it would grant him courage. May glided towards the dance floor, and he lightly placed one hand on the delicate sleeve of her gown, and the other on her waist.

‘Do you ever wish for this?’

‘Wish for what?’

‘Don’t you ever wish, just for a second, that we were an ordinary couple like everyone else in the room-I mean, I don’t mean couple as in being together together, I just mean-‘

‘I know what you mean, Phil.’

‘Do you ever just wish that this could be the real you, going to parties, sipping cocktails, dancing…?’

‘No.’

‘Oh.’ Perhaps he’s so disappointed because even his fantasies of them having a normal life together have just been shattered.

‘It would be boring. I don’t know what I’d do with myself. Besides, you know I’m not much of a cocktail drinker!’

Her grin fades, and her voice softens, just a little. Worriedly, she wonders, ‘Why Phil? Are you having regrets?’

She looks a little saddened by this, and he rushes to convince her otherwise.

‘Of course not, I was just wondering what it would be like. To be normal. May, I would never regret our time together. Best friends-remember?’

‘Partners too. How about this…maybe we could pretend, just for a moment, that this is all real. Ok?’

‘Ok.’

And so for just a moment, they hold each other close, gaze into each others eyes, and pretend that they’re a normal couple. Like everyone else in the room. May’s absolutely glowing, and her eyes are so warm. It almost feels like they’re staring into each other’s souls. He could get used to this. 

And if Coulson happens to notice Maria smiling at them, from the corner of his eye, he doesn’t acknowledge it. He just keeps pretending. He almost forgets that this isn’t real.


End file.
